Lycée Ben Abdelmalek Ramdane – Staoueli SUBJECT 1

Epreuve: Anglais 3 AS Langues Etrangères Durée:

3.30mn

BAC BLANC (May 2011)

Part One:  Reading                                                                                                        
(14pts) 
Read the text carefully then do the activities.

The history and culture of Mesopotamian civilization is inextricably connected to the

ebb and flow of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. The earliest communities developed to the
north but since rainfall in that area was so unpredictable, by 5000 B.C. communities had
spread south to the rich alluvial plain. The economy of these communities was primarily
agricultural and approximately 100 to 200 people lived in these permanently established
villages. The alluvial plain in southern Mesopotamia ("land between the rivers") was far more
fertile than the north but because there was little rainfall, irrigation ditches had to be
constructed. Furthermore, the river beds of the Tigris and Euphrates rise and fall with the
seasons and they change their course unpredictably. Southern Mesopotamia also had its share
of flash floods which could destroy crops, livestock and village homes. Floods and torrential
rains were a significant theme in Mesopotamian literature.
Civilization emerged in Mesopotamia because the soil provided a surplus of food. With
this surplus, people could settle down to village life and with these new settlements, towns and
cities began to make their appearance, a process known as urbanization. With settlements and
a surplus of food came an increase in the population, a well-defined division of labour,
organization, cooperation and kingship. The emergence of cities involved interaction between
people. Most cities evolved from smaller farming villages and with the practice of irrigation,
which was necessary for villages distant from the Tigris and Euphrates, a stable food supply
was produced. This, in turn, allowed increases in the number of people who inhabited each
settlement.
Mesopotamian villages and towns eventually evolved into independent and nearly self-
sufficient city-states. Although largely economically dependent on one another, these city-
states were independent political entities and retained very strong isolationist tendencies. This
isolationism hindered the unification of the Mesopotamian city-states, which eventually grew
to twelve in number.
The achievements of Mesopotamian civilization were numerous. Agriculture, thanks to
the construction of irrigation ditches, became the primary method of subsistence. Farming was
further simplified by the introduction of the plough. We also find the use of wheel-made
pottery. Between 3000 and 2900 B.C. craft specialization and industries began to emerge.
During this period (roughly 3000 B.C.), cylinder seals became common. These cylindrical
stone seals were five inches in height and engraved with images. These images were
reproduced by rolling the cylinder over wet clay. The language of these seals remained
unknown until to 20th century. But, scholars now agree that the language of these tablets was
Sumerian.

A/ Comprehension / interpretation:                                                                      
(7pts) 
1) Circle the choice that best completes the statement.
(1)
a) The aim of the text is to: a-inform b- explain a fact c-
argue a point

2) Choose the most suitable title to the reading passage.

(1)
a) The Tigris and the Euphrates sources
b) The collapse of the Mesopotamian civilization
c) The Mesopotamian civilisation

3) What or who do the underlined words refer to in the text?

(1)
a) that area (§1)………………………                         b) they
(§1) ………………………………..

4) Say whether the following statements are true or false according to the text.
(2)
a) Earliest communities depended on rainfalls.
b) Tigris and Euphrates rivers remain a stable level in all seasons.
c) Farming villages irrigated their lands from the Tigris and the Euphrates.
d) Mesopotamia used to suffer from natural disasters.

5) Answer the following question according to the text:

(1,5)
a) Why did civilisation develop in Mesopotamia?
b) List some of the achievements of the Mesopotamian civilisation.
c) Did the Mesopotamian civilisation develop a language? If yes, how?

6) In which paragraph it is mentioned that the small farms were developed into big cities?
……… (0,5)
 
B/ Text Exploration                                                                                                    
(7pts)
1) a. Find in the text words closest in meaning to:
(1)
- Damage (§1 ) =…………………………. - appeared (§2)
=………………………….
 b. Find in the text words opposites in meaning to:
(1)
- sterile (§1) ≠ …………………………… - weak (§3) ≠
……………………………..

2) Filling the table with the missing word category.

(2)
verb Noun adjective
///////////////////// history …………………
……………….…… ……………………… fertile
Destroy .. ……………………
……………………. ……………………. ………………..…
Evolve … ///////////////////////////
Practice
…………………….
…

3) Combine the sentence using the connectors given. (Despite the fact that, whereas )
(1)
a) The city-states were independent political entities. They economically depended on
one another.

………………………………………………………………………………………………
………
b) The earliest communities developed to the north. Other communities established in
southern
Mesopotamia.

………………………………………………………………………………………………
………..

4) Fill in the gaps in the passage below. (Required – food – gave up – human)
(1)
And because more …..…….could be produced by less people. Some others ……...……
farming and became craftsmen, labourers, merchants and officials and this ....... …….
cooperation. The Mesopotamians built massive temples which housed the priestly class;
the………….… representatives of the gods.

5) Classify the words according to the pronunciation of their final / ed /:

(1) emerged – connected – established – produced

/t/ /d/ / ed /
………………………… …………………………… …………………………
 ….. ….… .…..

Part two: written expression Choose one of the following topics.

(6pts)
Topic one: Using your own words write a summary of the reading passage.

Topic two: Your English pen friend wants to get information about the ancient city of
Timgad. He/she
wants to write an article on this subject for the school magazine. Write him/her
information
about Timgad. Use the following ideas:
• Timgad anciently called Thamughadi
• Founded by the Roman emperor Trajan in 100AD
• Ruins include the remains of the Arch of Trajan, a library and a theatre having a sealing
capacity of
nearly 4,000
• Several churches indicate that the city was a centre of Christianity in the 3rd century
• Suffered from the invasions of the Vandals and the Byzantines
• Designed UNESCO World Heritage in 1982